Purifying Discipline
Isaiah jumps right into his assignment as a prophet, bringing to Israel God’s word, revealed to him in a vision.
First, speaking for Yahweh, Isaiah begins with a poem of judgment:
Isaiah 1:1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
2 Hear, heavens,
and listen, earth; for Yahweh has spoken:
“I have nourished and brought up children
and they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knows his owner,
and the donkey his master’s crib;
but Israel doesn’t know.
My people don’t consider.”
4 Ah sinful nation,
a people loaded with iniquity,
offspring of evildoers,
children who deal corruptly!
They have forsaken Yahweh.
They have despised the Holy One of Israel.
They are estranged and backward.
5 Why should you be beaten more,
that you revolt more and more?
The whole head is sick,
and the whole heart faint.
6 From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it,
but wounds, welts, and open sores.
They haven’t been closed, bandaged, or soothed with oil.
7 Your country is desolate.
Your cities are burned with fire.
Strangers devour your land in your presence
and it is desolate,
as overthrown by strangers.
8 The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard,
like a hut in a field of melons,
like a besieged city.
During this time the nation of Israel was split into two distinct kingdoms: Israel, the northern kingdom, and Judah, the southern kingdom. Isaiah begins by addressing Judah during the reign of the wicked King Ahaz.
The Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had encouraged moral decline in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to the Lord. 2 Chronicles 28:19
What happens to a nation that has forsaken Yahweh?
They become estranged and backward. They experience moral decline. If they do not change their ways God promises to discipline them for their own good, and that is just what happened.
Judah was attacked and pillaged by Israel, Syria, Edom, Assyria, and the Philistines.
Isaiah 1:9 Unless Yahweh of Armies had left to us a very small remnant,
we would have been as Sodom.
We would have been like Gomorrah.
10 Hear Yahweh’s word, you rulers of Sodom!
Listen to the Law of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
11 “What are the multitude of your sacrifices to me?”, says Yahweh.
“I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of fed animals.
I don’t delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs,
or of male goats.
12 When you come to appear before me,
who has required this at your hand, to trample my courts?
13 Bring no more vain offerings.
Incense is an abomination to me.
New moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—
I can’t stand evil assemblies.
14 My soul hates your New Moons and your appointed feasts.
They are a burden to me.
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you.
Yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear.
Your hands are full of blood.
Though nourished by Yahweh of Armies, the all-powerful Lord of Hosts, Judah has rebelled…and forsaken Yahweh. Yahweh implores them to repent, asking, “Why should you be beaten more?” God can’t stand their evil assemblies, appointed feasts, and their vain go-through-the-motions offerings. Because they are estranged from God, Isaiah announces judgment. Notice, though the disobedient in Judah will not be totally destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah, they will come under the harsh discipline of God.
Isaiah 1:16 Wash yourselves. Make yourself clean.
Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes.
Cease to do evil.
17 Learn to do well.
Seek justice.
Relieve the oppressed.
Defend the fatherless.
Plead for the widow.”
18 “Come now, and let’s reason together,” says Yahweh:
“Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the good of the land;
Rather than continuing in their sin, which will lead to God’s terrible and sure discipline, Isaiah implores the people to repent from evil and turn toward righteousness. God does not delight in their hollow ritualistic worship, the blood of bulls or lambs, rather he desires introspection leading to repentance. True worship from the heart produces godly characteristics, justice, relieve the oppressed, defend the fatherless, and plead for the widow.
Believers need to hear this same warning today. God has shown us great mercy, not judging us as we deserve, and instead lavishing, I John 3:1, on us the blessings of grace that we do not deserve. How then can we go through the motions attending church and seeking status in the world yet ignoring those in need, the oppressed, the fatherless, the widow? Many have been seduced by the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches. Matthew 13:22 Before God disciplines us for our sins we should acknowledge our wrongdoing, repent, and perform deeds in keeping with repentance. Acts 26:20 When we humble ourselves, repent, and take up the cross in self-denial, Matthew 16:24-26, we learn that God’s commands are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3 In fact God will say,
“Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
Isaiah 1:20 but if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured with the sword;
for Yahweh’s mouth has spoken it.”
21 How the faithful city has become a prostitute!
She was full of justice.
Righteousness lodged in her,
but now there are murderers.
22 Your silver has become dross,
your wine mixed with water.
23 Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves.
Everyone loves bribes and follows after rewards.
They don’t defend the fatherless,
neither does the cause of the widow come to them.
24 Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies,
the Mighty One of Israel, says:
“Ah, I will get relief from my adversaries,
and avenge myself on my enemies.
25 I will turn my hand on you,
thoroughly purge away your dross,
and will take away all your tin.
God has always shown mercy to his people and he expects his people to respond with gratitude by showing mercy to others. Matthew 18:21-35 If we are not merciful and are instead mercenary seeking bribes and ill-gotten rewards God will remove all such impurities from his people. When silver is refined it is heated until all of the dross, the impure elements such as tin, are melted out or burned away. Similarly, God announces that he is about to refine Israel.
After announcing judgment, Isaiah announces a message of hope. After they are thoroughly purged [of] dross, there will be hope.
Hope
Isaiah 1:26 I will restore your judges as at the first,
and your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward you shall be called ‘The city of righteousness,
a faithful town.’
27 Zion shall be redeemed with justice,
and her converts with righteousness.
28 But the destruction of transgressors and sinners shall be together,
and those who forsake Yahweh shall be consumed.
29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired,
and you shall be confounded for the gardens that you have chosen.
30 For you shall be as an oak whose leaf fades,
and as a garden that has no water.
31 The strong will be like tinder,
and his work like a spark.
They will both burn together,
and no one will quench them.”
God’s faithful city has become a prostitute! offering herself to other gods, the oaks which you have desired. But after the judgment of God, after purification, the city of Jerusalem, which had been estranged, will somehow be called, the city of righteousness, a faithful town. Zion shall be redeemed with justice.
With this we see, in kernel form, the message of Isaiah. Isaiah speaks of both discipline and hope, which are actually the two sides of the same coin. On the one hand, Israel’s rebellion comes at a cost. That cost is the discipline of God. On the other hand, even in the midst of suffering through that discipline, God offers hope. Out of the purifying fire, Zion will be redeemed. How will redemption happen? Though Isaiah could only see through a glass, darkly, 1 Corinthians 13:12, and therefore lacked the clarity of hindsight that New Covenant believers enjoy, he revealed that Zion shall be redeemed. Isaiah revealed that through the faithfulness of a coming Servant of God, that we now in the New Covenant understand to be Jesus, both Israel and all peoples on earth would be blessed through Israel. How could it be that through God’s nation, Israel, all of the many nations of the earth would receive blessing?
Isaiah explains…
Isaiah 2:1 This is what Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 It shall happen in the latter days, that the mountain of Yahweh’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
and all nations shall flow to it.
3 Many peoples shall go and say,
“Come, let’s go up to the mountain of Yahweh,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
and he will teach us of his ways, (John 4:25)
and we will walk in his paths.”
For the Law shall go out of Zion,
and Yahweh’s word from Jerusalem.
4 He will judge between the nations, (John 5:22)
and will decide concerning many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
5 House of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of Yahweh.
The latter days spoken of in Isaiah 2:2 and fulfilled in Hebrews 1:2 are the days following Christ’s resurrection. Nations, which were scattered across the face of the earth at the time of Babel, will cease following false gods. Many peoples shall go and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of Yahweh, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” Seeing Yahweh’s house established on the top of the mountains many nations will turn from their idols, come to Christ for salvation, and worship the true and living God. In the knowledge and fear of the Lord nations will return to worship the One True God.
Isaiah 2:6 For you have forsaken your people, the house of Jacob,
because they are filled from the east,
with those who practice divination like the Philistines,
and they clasp hands with the children of foreigners.
7 Their land is full of silver and gold,
neither is there any end of their treasures.
Their land also is full of horses,
neither is there any end of their chariots.
8 Their land also is full of idols.
They worship the work of their own hands,
that which their own fingers have made.
9 Man is brought low,
and mankind is humbled;
therefore don’t forgive them.
10 Enter into the rock,
and hide in the dust,
from before the terror of Yahweh,
and from the glory of his majesty.
11 The lofty looks of man will be brought low,
the arrogance of men will be bowed down,
and Yahweh alone will be exalted in that day.
12 For there will be a day of Yahweh of Armies for all that is proud and arrogant,
and for all that is lifted up,
and it shall be brought low—
13 for all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up,
for all the oaks of Bashan,
14 for all the high mountains,
for all the hills that are lifted up,
15 for every lofty tower,
for every fortified wall,
16 for all the ships of Tarshish,
and for all pleasant imagery.
17 The loftiness of man shall be bowed down,
and the arrogance of men shall be brought low;
and Yahweh alone shall be exalted in that day.
18 The idols shall utterly pass away.
19 Men shall go into the caves of the rocks,
and into the holes of the earth,
from before the terror of Yahweh,
and from the glory of his majesty,
when he arises to shake the earth mightily.
20 In that day, men shall cast away their idols of silver
and their idols of gold,
which have been made for themselves to worship,
to the moles and to the bats,
21 to go into the caverns of the rocks,
and into the clefts of the ragged rocks,
from before the terror of Yahweh,
and from the glory of his majesty,
when he arises to shake the earth mightily.
22 Stop trusting in man, whose breath is in his nostrils;
for of what account is he?
In an interesting twist, rather than being faithful to the only true God, Israel has embraced the false idol worship of the nations. They practice divination. The land is full of idols. It is easy to be arrogant and lofty when worshiping idols of your own making. Isn’t that the point of idols? They let you do whatever you want. They make no demands. They affirm the wicked desires of your heart. But the Lord doesn’t come to improve your circumstances he comes to confront and discipline his children so that they will cast away their idols of silver and gold and hide before the terror of Yahweh.
Isaiah 3:1 For, behold, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah supply and support,
the whole supply of bread,
and the whole supply of water;
2 the mighty man,
the man of war,
the judge,
the prophet,
the diviner,
the elder,
3 the captain of fifty,
the honorable man,
the counselor,
the skilled craftsman,
and the clever enchanter.
4 I will give boys to be their princes,
and children shall rule over them.
5 The people will be oppressed,
everyone by another,
and everyone by his neighbor.
The child will behave himself proudly against the old man,
and the wicked against the honorable.
6 Indeed a man shall take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying,
“You have clothing, you be our ruler,
and let this ruin be under your hand.”
7 In that day he will cry out, saying, “I will not be a healer;
for in my house is neither bread nor clothing.
You shall not make me ruler of the people.”
8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen;
because their tongue and their doings are against Yahweh,
to provoke the eyes of his glory.
9 The look of their faces testify against them.
They parade their sin like Sodom.
They don’t hide it.
Woe to their soul!
For they have brought disaster upon themselves.
10 Tell the righteous that it will be well with them,
for they will eat the fruit of their deeds.
11 Woe to the wicked!
Disaster is upon them,
for the deeds of their hands will be paid back to them.
Ancient Israel brought disaster upon themselves. They parade their sin like Sodom. They are so sincere in their error they don’t hide it. Likewise, we so easily and arrogantly forget that Christ sustains all things. Hebrews 1:3 When he withholds his supply and support we, like Jerusalem [will be] ruined, Judah [will be] fallen.
Isaiah 3:12 As for my people, children are their oppressors,
and women rule over them.
My people, those who lead you cause you to err,
and destroy the way of your paths.
13 Yahweh stands up to contend,
and stands to judge the peoples.
14 Yahweh will enter into judgment with the elders of his people
and their leaders:
“It is you who have eaten up the vineyard.
The plunder of the poor is in your houses.
15 What do you mean that you crush my people,
and grind the face of the poor?” says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies.
16 Moreover Yahweh said, “Because the daughters of Zion are arrogant,
and walk with outstretched necks and flirting eyes,
walking daintily as they go,
jingling ornaments on their feet;
17 therefore the Lord brings sores on the crown of the head of the women of Zion, and Yahweh will make their scalps bald.”
18 In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, the headbands, the crescent necklaces, 19 the earrings, the bracelets, the veils, 20 the headdresses, the ankle chains, the sashes, the perfume containers, the charms, 21 the signet rings, the nose rings, 22 the fine robes, the capes, the cloaks, the purses, 23 the hand mirrors, the fine linen garments, the tiaras, and the shawls.
24 It shall happen that instead of sweet spices, there shall be rottenness;
instead of a belt, a rope;
instead of well set hair, baldness;
instead of a robe, a wearing of sackcloth;
and branding instead of beauty.
25 Your men shall fall by the sword,
and your mighty in the war.
26 Her gates shall lament and mourn.
She shall be desolate and sit on the ground.
God judges Israel by allowing them to be led by childish, incompetent, and ungodly leaders. Incompetent leaders can, with their ignorance and corruption, quickly destroy a prosperous nation. Supply chains are broken, resulting in food shortages. When laws are no longer enforced, crime multiplies. When the courts are corrupt, justice cannot be found. Yahweh will enter into judgment with the elders.
They who rule unjustly and incompetently have been raised up by Him to punish the wickedness of the people. John Calvin, Institutes, IV,20,25
Adam’s original sin was abdication. When men refuse to stand firm in the role for which God created them, when, like Adam, men become passive, neglecting to guard God’s world, stability vanishes.
Be watchful. Stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13
What is God’s judgment on men who do not stand firm??
Women [will] rule over them. Children [will] oppress them. Isaiah 3:12
God made men and women to work as a team. Men and women are not interchangeable. They fulfill different but complimentary roles. To undergird, protect, and stabilize society men were created with greater muscle mass, fast-twitch fibers, larger skeletal structure, testosterone, and much more so that they are able to fight, contend, provide, and protect both family and society. Guarding, protecting, providing, and leading are traits that God hardwired into men. 1 Timothy 5:8; 6:12; Jude 1:3
Made as a compliment to men, women uniquely bring life into the world and nurture the next generations. They preserve harmony in the foundational unit of society, the family, focusing on the daily wellbeing of the household. The God given maternal instinct is hardwired into females as a tempering, compassionate, grace. Titus 2:3-5; 1 Peter 3:1-6
Because of the insidious nature of sin in our lives, it is possible for both men and women to misuse their God-given traits. Passive effeminate men abandon their God-given responsibilities and like Adam, abdicating their leadership role in the church and home, refusing to honor women, refusing to protect their society, and compromising with evil, earn the scorn of their Creator.
Look at your troops – they are like women! The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies. Nahum 3:13
The mighty men of Babylon ceased fighting…They became like women. Jeremiah 51:30
Women, in the absence of masculine leadership are willing to abandon God’s design to take on the men’s roles. However, in those roles it becomes easy to misuse their instinct for empathy and nurturing to seek peace and harmony in situations where evil people and evil forces require confrontation and judgment. They must be careful to not confuse the fact that mercy and justice are not rivals.
Far too many women, including women who profess Christianity, have embraced a vision of public life where compassion is treated as the highest virtue and resistance is treated as moral failure. The issue is not a lack of empathy. It is an excess of it. To be clear, empathy itself is not evil. It is a necessary and beautiful gift when it is rightly ordered. It is indispensable in the home, in motherhood, in nurturing children, and in sustaining families. But that same instinct, when transferred wholesale to matters of nationhood, law, punishment, and public order, becomes dangerous. Nations are not built by empathy. They are preserved by justice, restraint, and the willingness to confront evil even when doing so feels harsh. Virgil Walker, Sola Veritas
Understanding these inherent differences between men and women founded in creation, Scriptures only recognize and authorize the ordination of men for leadership in both Old and New Covenants. God has uniquely given men the responsibility of proclaiming truth, overseeing, and rendering just judgments guarding both church and society. Exodus 18:21, 1 Timothy 2:11-15
Perhaps with misplaced empathy in mind, John Calvin taught that women must be excluded from roles in civil government.
Female government has always been regarded by all wise persons as a monstrous thing. Commentary on Corinthians
Isaiah 4:1 Seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread, and wear our own clothing. Just let us be called by your name. Take away our reproach.”
God’s judgment is sure. Because the men worshiped false gods and neglected their duty to guard their families the nation was easily over run by enemies. They shall fall by the sword. And the women who were formerly more concerned with their appearance than faithfulness to God will then be desperate to find a man to be their protector.
Isaiah 4:2 In that day, Yahweh’s branch will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the beauty and glory of the survivors of Israel. 3 It will happen that he who is left in Zion and he who remains in Jerusalem shall be called holy, even everyone who is written among the living in Jerusalem, 4 when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from within it, by the spirit of justice and by the spirit of burning. 5 Yahweh will create over the whole habitation of Mount Zion and over her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night, for over all the glory will be a canopy. 6 There will be a pavilion for a shade in the daytime from the heat, a place of refuge, and a shelter from the storm and rain.
After this terrible judgment, God offers a ray of hope. Just as God led Israel through the wilderness with a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night, God promises to be their canopy, their refuge and shelter from the storm.
Again, how will this refuge come about?
Isaiah 5:1 Let me sing for my well-beloved a song of my beloved about his vineyard.
My beloved had a vineyard on a very fruitful hill.
2 He dug it up,
gathered out its stones,
planted it with the choicest vine,
built a tower in the middle of it,
and also cut out a wine press in it.
He looked for it to yield grapes,
but it yielded wild grapes.
3 “Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah,
please judge between me and my vineyard.
4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it?
Why, when I looked for it to yield grapes, did it yield wild grapes?
5 Now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard.
I will take away its hedge, and it will be eaten up.
I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled down.
6 I will lay it a wasteland.
It won’t be pruned or hoed,
but it will grow briers and thorns.
I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it.”
7 For the vineyard of Yahweh of Armies is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah his pleasant plant.
He looked for justice, but behold, oppression,
for righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress.
8 Woe to those who join house to house,
who lay field to field, until there is no room,
and you are made to dwell alone in the middle of the land!
9 In my ears, Yahweh of Armies says: “Surely many houses will be desolate,
even great and beautiful, unoccupied.
10 For ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath,
and a homer of seed shall yield an ephah.”
In song, God compares Israel to a vineyard. He planted his vineyard with the choicest vines on a fruitful hill. He tended the vineyard and guarded it. However the vineyard, the house of Israel, yielded nothing but wild grapes. Because they worshiped and followed other gods they yielded only wicked fruit and are about to be trampled down. As Christ would teach over 700 years later, by their fruits you will know them. Matthew 7:16
Christ picked up on the vineyard theme, John 15:1-8. During his ministry Christ explained that he was the true vine, and the branches that remained rooted in him would bear much fruit. But the wild branches that produced no fruit would be cutoff and burned.
Isaiah 5:11 Woe to those who rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink,
who stay late into the night, until wine inflames them!
12 The harp, lyre, tambourine, and flute, with wine, are at their feasts;
but they don’t respect the work of Yahweh,
neither have they considered the operation of his hands.
13 Therefore my people go into captivity for lack of knowledge.
Their honorable men are famished,
and their multitudes are parched with thirst.
14 Therefore Sheol has enlarged its desire,
and opened its mouth without measure;
and their glory, their multitude, their pomp, and he who rejoices among them, descend into it.
15 So man is brought low,
mankind is humbled,
and the eyes of the arrogant ones are humbled;
16 but Yahweh of Armies is exalted in justice,
and God the Holy One is sanctified in righteousness.
17 Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture,
and strangers will eat the ruins of the rich.
18 Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood,
and wickedness as with cart rope,
19 who say, “Let him make haste, let him hasten his work, that we may see it;
let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come,
that we may know it!”
20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
who put darkness for light,
and light for darkness;
who put bitter for sweet,
and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
and prudent in their own sight!
22 Woe to those who are mighty to drink wine,
and champions at mixing strong drink;
23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe,
but deny justice for the innocent!
24 Therefore as the tongue of fire devours the stubble,
and as the dry grass sinks down in the flame,
so their root shall be as rottenness,
and their blossom shall go up as dust,
because they have rejected the Law of Yahweh of Armies,
and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25 Therefore Yahweh’s anger burns against his people,
and he has stretched out his hand against them and has struck them.
The mountains tremble,
and their dead bodies are as refuse in the middle of the streets.
For all this, his anger is not turned away,
but his hand is still stretched out.
Yahweh’s chosen people don’t respect the work of Yahweh…They have rejected the Law of Yahweh of Armies…they are champions at mixing strong drink; who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice for the innocent! They have inverted everything. They call evil good, and good evil. In other words they are normalizing behaviors and beliefs that were formerly regarded as harmful. Because they are rebranding sin as virtue Yahweh’s anger burns.
What is Yahweh going to do?
Yahweh will send his people… into captivity for lack of knowledge.
What knowledge do the people lack?
Although they had the Law that God had given to Moses because they did not follow the Law, they lacked knowledge and truth. They made a mockery of the ceremonial Law, and they ignored the moral Law.
You have in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and truth. Romans 2:20
Because we are wise in [our] own eyes, God’s revelation, his moral Law, is frequently mocked as the embodiment of foolishness rather than the embodiment of knowledge. But that was not always the case. In the past, all of the first universities – Oxford, Paris, Cambridge, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton – were founded by Christians. Harvard’s motto was ‘Truth for Christ and the Church.’ Theology was held in esteem as the “Queen of the Sciences” because theology was the highest form of knowledge overseeing and integrating all of the other fields of study. But now those same universities frequently call evil good and mock God’s good gracious revelation as evil.
Although it is misunderstood today, historically the Law of God had three uses. Westminster Confession of Faith, The Law of God
First, like a mirror reflecting the grime on our face, the Law reveals our sin so that we will realize our need for Christ.
I would not have known sin if it were not for the Law. Romans 7:7
Second, the Law constrains wickedness within societies by the fear of swift and just punishment.
[The Law] by means of its fearful denunciations and the consequent dread of punishment, serves to curb those who, unless forced, have no regard for rectitude and justice. John Calvin, Institutes, 2.7.10
Third, after accepting the free gift of salvation, the Law teaches believers how to live joyful, meaningful, and blessed lives.
Blessed is the one…whose delight is in the Law of the Lord, who meditates on it day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season. Psalm 1:1-3
How will Yahweh send his people into captivity?
Isaiah 5:26 He will lift up a banner to the nations from far away,
and he will whistle for them from the end of the earth.
Behold, they will come speedily and swiftly.
27 No one shall be weary nor stumble among them;
no one shall slumber nor sleep,
neither shall the belt of their waist be untied,
nor the strap of their sandals be broken,
28 whose arrows are sharp,
and all their bows bent.
Their horses’ hoofs will be like flint,
and their wheels like a whirlwind.
29 Their roaring will be like a lioness.
They will roar like young lions.
Yes, they shall roar,
and seize their prey and carry it off,
and there will be no one to deliver.
30 They will roar against them in that day like the roaring of the sea. If one looks to the land, behold, darkness and distress.
The light is darkened in its clouds.
Yahweh, who rules over the nations of the earth, Psalm 22:28, will use other nations as his instrument to discipline his people. They will come to Israel swiftly, to Yahweh’s banner, armed for battle, and seize their prey at Yahweh’s direction.
Isaiah’s Throne Vision
Though King Uzziah had been faithful for fifty years pride led to his downfall. He unlawfully entered the Temple to burn incense on the altar and was struck by God with leprosy. 2 Chronicles 26 His death led to a period of uncertainty and instability for the nation.
Isaiah 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. (John 12:40-41) 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each one had six wings. With two he covered his face. With two he covered his feet. With two he flew. 3 One called to another, and said,
“Holy, holy, holy, is Yahweh of Armies!
The whole earth is full of his glory!”
4 The foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then I said, “Woe is me! For I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of Armies!” (John 12:41)
After Uzziah was judged by God Isaiah found himself in the Throne Room. Seeing Yahweh sitting on the throne, high and lifted up Isaiah cries out in despair, “Woe is me! For I am undone.”
Why did he think he was done for?
He realized that as a sinner he was totally exposed. Exposure comes before healing. His illusions of worthiness evaporated in the presence of true holiness. We want to think of sin as poor choices, mistakes, character flaws, our thoughts and actions that need understanding and redirection. But every sin is cosmic treason against the Holy Creator. The excuses and camouflage that we rely on to hide our sins instead expose them for what they really are – vile in the sight of God. Isaiah was a prophet, someone that the world esteems as holy, yet because of his uncleanliness, personal sins, and failures, he had no standing in the presence of the holy God. He was completely unsettled, undone.
Today Christians pursue encounters with God, seeking affirmation. We often live under the illusion that we are pretty good and deserve God’s blessing. We easily make excuses for our sins or we think we can hide our sins by rationalizing that they are not that bad compared to the sins of other people. But the Holy God does not grade on a curve. Like Isaiah, before reconciliation, we must come honestly in repentance. In the New Testament when Peter saw the holy power of Christ his immediate response was not self-assurance, but rather he said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.” Luke 5:8 Likewise, on that terrible final day when we stand in the presence of the Most Holy God to give an account for ourselves, our illusions will be crushed. We will, like both Isaiah and Peter, be undone.
We are accustomed to thinking mercy is normal and judgment is strange. Scripture reverses that instinct. Justice is what rebels deserve. Mercy is the mystery. The real question is not, “Why does God judge?” The real question is, “Why does God spare?” Every breath of mercy given to a rebellious creature is undeserved. We do not stand before God as moral negotiators, offering Him our intentions and hoping He grades on a curve. We stand before Him as spared rebels, alive only because He has chosen patience instead of immediate judgment. Virgil Walker, Sola Veritas
Isaiah 6:6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar. 7 He touched my mouth with it, and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin forgiven.”
As he was reeling in fear and despair like a condemned man, a seraphim touched Isaiah’s lips with a live coal refining away his impurities saying, “Your iniquity is taken away, and your sin forgiven.” No excuses will be accepted for our sins. And try as we might, no good works will be able to atone for our sins. It is only by grace; unearned favor, and mercy; being spared the punishment that we rightly deserve, through the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf that our sins can be forgiven.
Isaiah 6:8 I heard the Lord’s voice, saying,
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” (John 12:38-45)
Then I said, “Here I am. Send me!”
9 He said, “Go, and tell this people,
‘You hear indeed, but don’t understand.
You see indeed, but don’t perceive.’
10 Make the heart of this people fat.
Make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their heart,
and turn again, and be healed.” (John 12:40, Matthew 13:13-15, Acts 28:23-29))
11 Then I said, “Lord, how long?”
He answered,
“Until cities are waste without inhabitant,
houses without man,
the land becomes utterly waste,
12 and Yahweh has removed men far away,
and the forsaken places are many within the land.
13 If there is a tenth left in it,
that also will in turn be consumed,
as a terebinth, and as an oak whose stump remains when they are cut down,
so the holy seed is its stump.”
After confession and forgiveness, God asks for a volunteer. Who will go for us? After being spared from eternal condemnation and granted forgiveness can there be any response from us other than the response of gratitude? Here I am. Send me! Isaiah is given the task of telling Israel, “You hear…but don’t understand. You see…but don’t perceive.” Because of their disobedience God is going to destroy their land and move them far away. Israel is to be chopped down as a tree is cut down with only a stump remaining. As you might imagine this message from Yahweh made Isaiah a very unpopular prophet. In fact it is recorded in the Babylonian Talmud, as well as referenced in Hebrews 11:37, that Isaiah was sawn in two. Being a prophet and delivering a harsh judgment is not an easy task. But Isaiah also delivered a message of hope. Miraculously, after Israel is cut down like an oak tree a holy seed will grow out of the remaining stump.
…as an oak whose stump remains when they are cut down,
so the holy seed is its stump. Romans 15:12
What can this possibly mean?
Isaiah 7:1 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it. 2 David’s house was told, “Syria is allied with Ephraim.” His heart trembled, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest tremble with the wind.
When King Ahaz found out that the northern kingdom of Israel and Syria had made an alliance to attack he was frightened. But in God’s eyes Syria and Ephraim were nothing more than two tails of smoking torches. In other words all smoke and no fire. God had guaranteed Ahaz, the king of Judah, the southern kingdom, victory. To prove the truth of his guarantee God challenged Ahaz to ask for a sign, any sign. But Ahaz refused. Instead of trusting God he went to Damascus and made an alliance with Tiglath-Pileser. 2 Kings 16:10-18 There, he was so impressed with the pagan temple in Damascus that he donated some of the riches from God’s temple to the pagan priests. Then, adding insult to injury, he remodeled the temple of the Lord, the temple in Jerusalem that God had designed representing the heavenly temple, I Chronicles 28:11-19, after the pagan altars in Damascus.
Isaiah 7:3 Then Yahweh said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you, and Shearjashub (meaning a remnant shall return) your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway of the fuller’s field. 4 Tell him, ‘Be careful, and keep calm. Don’t be afraid, neither let your heart be faint because of these two tails of smoking torches, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have plotted evil against you, saying, 6 “Let’s go up against Judah, and tear it apart, and let’s divide it among ourselves, and set up a king within it, even the son of Tabeel.” 7 This is what the Lord Yahweh says: “It shall not stand, neither shall it happen.” 8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim shall be broken in pieces, so that it shall not be a people. 9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established.’”
Despite the fact that Ahaz had disobeyed God and was thoroughly compromised, God honored his guarantee of victory by offering to give Ahaz a sign. Perhaps trying to sound spiritual Ahaz refused to accept the sign. He refused the forgiveness, mercy, and grace of God, preferring to handle the situation his own way. After all, he didn’t need God because he had already secured an alliance with Syria.
Does that sound familiar?
Have you ever disobeyed God because you thought that you had devised a better plan? You had things under control?
As we already saw, just as God had instructed Adam, Noah was also instructed to be fruitful and multiply filling the whole earth. Genesis 9:1 But his immediate descendants devised a better plan to build a city with a tower that would reach to heaven. How did that plan turn out? As a result God created the nations and scattered them across the globe. Our plans frequently backfire.
Isaiah 7:10 Yahweh spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 “Ask a sign of Yahweh your God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.”
12 But Ahaz said, “I won’t ask. I won’t tempt Yahweh.”
13 He said, “Listen now, house of David. Is it not enough for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel, God with us. (Matthew 1:23-25, Luke 1:35, 1 Timothy 3:16) 15 He shall eat butter and honey when he knows to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the child knows to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you abhor shall be forsaken. 17 Yahweh will bring on you, on your people, and on your father’s house days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah, even the king of Assyria.
After rebuking Ahaz, by pointing out, “It is one thing to try the patience of men, it is quite another thing to try the patience of God” God proceeds to explain a two-pronged sign.
First, God gave what must have sounded like a nonsensical sign. Who could decipher such a promise? “Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel, God with us.” But, amazingly, that is just what happened – over 700 years later,
The angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matthew 1:20-23
A virgin? A Son named Immanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us? Ahaz had to be thinking, “How can this help me?”
Like Ahaz we are quick to put our trust in temporal things, educational degrees, bank accounts, investments, nation, friends, family, and homes, to see us through tough times. But our true and lasting hope can only be found by putting our trust in Immanuel.
Second, Ahaz thought that he was clever making an alliance with Assyria, but God says that Assyria will break the treaty, turn on him, and make a new alliance with Egypt, destroying Judah.
Isaiah 7:18 It will happen in that day that Yahweh will whistle for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 They shall come, and shall all rest in the desolate valleys, in the clefts of the rocks, on all thorn hedges, and on all pastures.
20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired in the parts beyond the River, even with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet; and it shall also consume the beard.
21 It shall happen in that day that a man shall keep alive a young cow, and two sheep. 22 It shall happen, that because of the abundance of milk which they shall give he shall eat butter, for everyone will eat butter and honey that is left within the land.
23 It will happen in that day that every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels, will be for briers and thorns. 24 People will go there with arrows and with bow, because all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 All the hills that were cultivated with the hoe, you shall not come there for fear of briers and thorns; but it shall be for the sending out of oxen, and for sheep to tread on.”
God will whistle and the invasion will begin. The devastation will be great. The Lord will shave with a razor, meaning that the people will be humiliated. Their land will be depopulated, the vineyards will be briars and thorns, the cattle industry will collapse, and those left alive will be lucky to have a young cow and two sheep.
Isaiah 8:1 Yahweh said to me, “Take a large tablet, and write on it with a man’s pen, ‘For Maher Shalal Hash Baz’; 2 and I will take for myself faithful witnesses to testify: Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.”
3 I went to the prophetess, and she conceived, and bore a son. Then Yahweh said to me, “Call his name ‘Maher Shalal Hash Baz.’ 4 For before the child knows how to say, ‘My father’ and ‘My mother,’ the riches of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried away by the king of Assyria.”
5 Yahweh spoke to me yet again, saying, 6 “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son; 7 now therefore, behold, the Lord brings upon them the mighty flood waters of the River: the king of Assyria and all his glory. It will come up over all its channels, and go over all its banks. 8 It will sweep onward into Judah. It will overflow and pass through. It will reach even to the neck. The stretching out of its wings will fill the width of your land, O Immanuel. (Matthew 28:20)
9 Make an uproar, you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Listen, all you from far countries: dress for battle, and be shattered! Dress for battle, and be shattered! 10 Take counsel together, and it will be brought to nothing; speak the word, and it will not stand, for God is with us.”
Isaiah was given two tasks. First, so that there would be no confusion as to who was in charge, he was to write down in advance what God was going to do. Second, in order to reveal the timeline of God’s judgment Isaiah was to have a child with his wife, the prophetess. Telegraphing exactly what was going to happen they were to name the boy, Maher Shalal Hash Baz’ meaning, ‘swift is the plunder, speedy is the prey.’ Before the child could say, ‘My father and My mother,’ Judah would be plundered and destroyed when their ally, Assyria turned on them in league with Egypt. So basically within a year, Israel would swiftly be destroyed.
Isaiah 8:11 For Yahweh spoke this to me with a strong hand, and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying, 12 “Don’t call a conspiracy all that this people call a conspiracy. Don’t fear their threats or be terrorized. (1 Peter 3:14) 13 Yahweh of Armies is who you must respect as holy. He is the one you must fear. He is the one you must dread. 14 He will be a sanctuary, but for both houses of Israel, he will be a stumbling stone and a rock that makes them fall. For the people of Jerusalem, he will be a trap and a snare. 15 Many will stumble over it, fall, be broken, be snared, and be captured.” (1 Peter 2:8)
Who do you fear? What is your greatest fear?
First, Yahweh instructed Isaiah not to fear the threats of, nor walk in the way of this people. Because he had assurances from Yahweh he was instead to ignore the conspiracy theories of the people.
Second, Judah was about to be invaded by the ruthless Assyrians and Isaiah instructs the people who are about to be slaughtered, Don’t fear their threats or be terrorized. How could they not fear? Instead of fearing Assyria the people are told, “Yahweh of Armies is who you must respect as holy. He is the one you must fear.” We are often bewitched by and fear those who appear to have worldly power, but their power is an illusion. The Holy One, Yahweh of Armies actually reigns!
Isaiah 8:16 Wrap up the Covenant. Seal the Law among my disciples. 17 I will wait for Yahweh, who hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom Yahweh has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from Yahweh of Armies, who dwells in Mount Zion.
Instead of fear wrap up, lean on, the Covenant promises and wait for Yahweh. 750 years later Jesus echoed this same teaching,
“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” Luke 12:4-5
Isaiah 8:19 When they tell you, “Consult with those who have familiar spirits and with the wizards, who chirp and who mutter,” shouldn’t a people consult with their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? 20 Turn to the and to the Covenant! If they don’t speak according to this word, surely there is no morning for them. 21 They will pass through it, very distressed and hungry. It will happen that when they are hungry, they will worry, and curse their king and their God. They will turn their faces upward, 22 then look to the earth and see distress, darkness, and the gloom of anguish. They will be driven into thick darkness.
Instead of waiting for God the people searched for answers and for relief from the coming invasion. They ignored God, Exodus 22:18, and were turning to mediums and demons for guidance and comfort rather than to God. How foolish. How can the dead or the condemned help? Rather turn to the Law and to the Covenant!
Why turn to the Law?
As we saw above, the Law does three things. First, because in our fallen state we cannot keep the Law, the Law reveals the sins that we try to hide and need to confess, begging for God’s mercy. Second, the Law constrains sin, protecting God’s children from evildoers. Third, the Law is God’s good and perfect design for his children who have placed their trust in him alone. In following the Law there is life.
Why turn to the Covenant?
God’s Covenant with his children is the Promise of unconditional love. Our spirit may be willing but our flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41 We will be disobedient to God’s Law but God promises nevertheless to love us. Now love, as we see here with Ahab, can include harsh discipline, but God will never forsake his Covenant children.
Isaiah 9:1 But there shall be no more gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time he has made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. (Matthew 4:12-16)
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. (John 8:12)
The light has shined on those who lived in the land of the.
Yes the people disobeyed God. Because they sought after false gods, they will experience the gloom of the coming invasion and enslavement. However, their anguish will not last forever. There is hope. The people who walked in darkness…the people who lived in the land of the shadow of death…will see a great light.
What is this great light that brings joy?
Isaiah 9:3 You have multiplied the nation. You have increased their joy. They rejoice before you according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the plunder. 4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as in the day of Midian. 5 For all the armor of the armed man in the noisy battle, and the garments rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
6 For a child is born to us. A son is given to us; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on David’s throne, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this. (Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:31-33; 2:7-11, Romans 1:3-4, Luke 4:22, Matthew 13:54, 1 Corinthians 1:24, Titus 2:3, John 8:58;10:30, John 16:33, John 5:30)
Back in Genesis, after Adam sinned, God promised that a son, born of woman would come to defeat Satan and reverse the curse of death. How would that happen? Isaiah gives us more information about God’s eternal and unfolding plan. The child that will be born to the virgin will break the rod of [their] oppressor. This child will have the government on his shoulders. His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
This child, born of a human woman in Bethlehem, Micah 5:2, will actually be God in the flesh, Mighty God, Everlasting Father. He will establish an eternal kingdom, in the line of King David, to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. Who is this child and what is his kingdom? According to the New Testament writers this is none other than Christ. Christ’s kingdom is his church, his bride, Revelation 21:9-10 Believers will offer the free gift of salvation to the all of the inhabitants of the earth and reintroduce true righteousness into the world making it possible to judge evil with justice.
God made everything. God owns everything. God rules everything. Christ told his disciples, the first members of the fledgling church,
“All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me… Therefore go make disciples of all nations.” Matthew 28:18-19
Can you think of anything in heaven or on earth that falls outside of Christ’s authority?
Of course we can agree that Christ rules over the government of the church, but his rule doesn’t end there. Isaiah prophesied that nations would return to God and envisioned their government being shaped by Christ’s rule. However, many Christians today argue that God’s precepts, both civil and moral, have no place in civil government and should not inform civil government. An extreme example, both David French and Russell Moore have argued that the Ten Commandments have no place in schools or other public places.
Thou shalt not post the Ten Commandments in the classroom. David French, 6-20-24, New York Times
To the contrary, the Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 19:2&4, Of the Law of God, using the term, general equity, teaches,
Civil leaders are bound to write laws that match the general equity of God’s Law. Our civil laws must live in happy harmony with the Law of God. James Baird, King of Kings
No government can be happily established unless piety is the first concern. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian religion, 1559
Protestants teach unanimously that it is incumbent on kings to find out, receive, embrace, and promote the truth of the Gospel, and the worship of God appointed therin, confirming, protecting, and defending it, by their regal power and authority. John Owen, A Vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat Lux, 1664
The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. John Adams 1813
I often hear it said, ‘Do not bring religion into politics.’ This is precisely where it ought to be brought, and set there in the face of all men on a candlestick! Charles Spurgeon, The Candle, 1881
This relates back to our discussion about the second use of the Law on page 26. A society is to advocate for and promote moral laws to restrain and punish evil behavior and also to encourage good behavior. The Scriptures teach that leadership has formative powers. People will be inclined to follow leaders for both good or ill.
King Josiah, 2 Kings 22-23, was commended by God for encouraging good behavior by realigning Israel under God’s Laws. Similarly, King Hezekiah, 2 Kings 18, tore down the idols on the high places and directed the people back to God’s law. These are examples of iron sharpens iron. Proverbs 27:17 A nation that honors God’s Law by prominently displaying and teaching the benefit of the Ten Commandments, will be encouraging and promoting good behavior that will strengthen moral well-being in that society.
Conversely, King Jeroboam, 2 Kings 17:21, enticed Israel away from following the Lord and caused them to commit great sin. While it is true that people are responsible for their own behavior Scripture warns that it is also true that peer and societal norms exert great pressure on behavior enticing people to sin.
You shall not follow the crowd. Exodus 23:2
If sinners entice you, do not yield to them. Proverbs 1:10
Do not be deceived, bad company corrupts good morals. 1 Corinthians 15:33
Remember the second use of the Law is not in any way implying that following the Law of God with strenuous moral striving brings salvation. Salvation is a gift. Romans 1:23 But it leads to the question, “Would you rather live in a nation where the civil government attempts to honor God’s Law or would you want to live in a nation where everyone does that which is right in his own eyes?” Judges 21:25
Righteousness exalts a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people. Proverbs 14:35
Referring back to Isaiah 5:20, when judges call evil good they often release violent repeat offenders back into the community. Conversely when judges call good evil they prosecute the innocent for defending themselves. In both cases the whole society suffers.
Isaiah 9:8 The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it falls on Israel.
9 All the people will know,
including Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and in arrogance of heart,
10 “The bricks have fallen,
but we will build with cut stone.
The sycamore fig trees have been cut down,
but we will put cedars in their place.”
11 Therefore Yahweh will set up on high against him the adversaries of Rezin,
and will stir up his enemies,
12 The Syrians in front,
and the Philistines behind;
and they will devour Israel with open mouth.
For all this, his anger is not turned away,
but his hand is stretched out still.
13 Yet the people have not turned to him who struck them,
neither have they sought Yahweh of Armies.
14 Therefore Yahweh will cut off from Israel head and tail,
palm branch and reed, in one day.
15 The elder and the honorable man is the head,
and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail.
16 For those who lead this people lead them astray;
and those who are led by them are destroyed.
17 Therefore the Lord will not rejoice over their young men,
neither will he have compassion on their fatherless and widows;
for everyone is profane and an evildoer,
and every mouth speaks folly.
For all this his anger is not turned away,
but his hand is stretched out still.
18 For wickedness burns like a fire.
It devours the briers and thorns;
yes, it kindles in the thickets of the forest,
and they roll upward in a column of smoke.
19 Through Yahweh of Armies’ wrath, the land is burned up;
and the people are the fuel for the fire.
No one spares his brother.
20 One will devour on the right hand, and be hungry;
and he will eat on the left hand, and they will not be satisfied.
Everyone will eat the flesh of his own arm:
21 Manasseh eating Ephraim and Ephraim eating Manasseh, and they together will be against Judah.
For all this his anger is not turned away,
but his hand is stretched out still.
Even in the face of God’s warning, the leaders of Israel refuse to listen. They arrogantly say to Isaiah, “If the bricks fall, no problem, we’ll just build back better with stone,” To which God responds, “No, I’ll overthrow the leaders.” Yahweh will cut off from Israel head and tail. Instead of heeding God’s warnings, those who lead this people lead them astray; and those who are led by them are destroyed.
The wickedness of Israel is so great that it burns like a fire, and rather than wood, the people are the fuel for the fire. It is a sad fact of history that wicked rulers are more than willing to use their people as fuel for their fires, as brothers and tribes attack and devour each other.
Isaiah 10:1 Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers who, that widows may be their plunder, and that they may make the fatherless their prey! 3 What will you do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?
4 They will only bow down under the prisoners,
and will fall under the slain.
For all this his anger is not turned away,
but his hand is stretched out still.
Nothing has changed in our modern political scene. The fires of selfish ambition write oppressive decrees to deprive the needy of justice, and to rob the poor among [God’s] people of their rights.
Where will the people go for help when Assyria breaks the treaty and turns against them? They had already rejected God.
Isaiah 10:5 Alas Assyrian, the rod of my anger, the staff in whose hand is my indignation! 6 I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people who anger me I will give him a command to take the plunder and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7 However, he doesn’t mean so, neither does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off not a few nations. 8 For he says, “Aren’t all of my princes kings? 9 Isn’t Calno like Carchemish? Isn’t Hamath like Arpad? Isn’t Samaria like Damascus?” 10 As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, whose engraved images exceeded those of Jerusalem and of Samaria, 11 shall I not, as I have done to Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?
Though God will use Assyria to discipline his nation of Judah, Assyria is arrogant saying, “Aren’t all of my princes kings?” They are under the false illusion that their strength to conquer Judah is by their own hand. They never stop to consider that perhaps God is orchestrating Judah’s destruction for his own purposes.
Isaiah 10:12 Therefore it will happen that when the Lord has performed his whole work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the willful proud heart of the king of Assyria, and the insolence of his arrogant looks. 13 For he has said, “By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding. I have removed the boundaries of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures. Like a valiant man I have brought down their rulers. 14 My hand has found the riches of the peoples like a nest, and like one gathers eggs that are abandoned, I have gathered all the earth. There was no one who moved their wing, or that opened their mouth, or chirped.”
15 Should an ax brag against him who chops with it? Should a saw exalt itself above him who saws with it? As if a rod should lift those who lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up someone who is not wood. 16 Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory a burning will be kindled like the burning of fire. 17 The light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day. 18 He will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, both soul and body. It will be as when a standard bearer faints. 19 The remnant of the trees of his forest shall be few, so that a child could write their number.
Here God uses four examples, an ax, a saw, a rod, and a staff to make the point that the tool should never take credit for what the worker does with the tool. An ax or a saw must never take credit for the skill with which the woodsman can cut and fashion the tree. Just like Assyria, we should never forget that we are to be the humble instruments in God’s hands. Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts. Zechariah 4:6
Isaiah 10:20 It will come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, and those who have escaped from the house of Jacob will no more again lean on him who struck them, but shall lean on Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 A remnant will return, even the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. 22 For though your people, Israel, are like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness. 23 For the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will make a full end, and that determined, throughout all the earth.
24 Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, says, “My people who dwell in Zion, don’t be afraid of the Assyrian, though he strike you with the rod, and lift up his staff against you, as Egypt did. 25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation against you will be accomplished, and my anger will be directed to his destruction.” 26 Yahweh of Armies will stir up a scourge against him, as in the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb. (Judges 7:25), His rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it up like he did against Egypt. 27 It will happen in that day that his burden will depart from off your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing oil.
28 He has come to Aiath. He has passed through Migron. At Michmash he stores his baggage. 29 They have gone over the pass. They have taken up their lodging at Geba. Ramah trembles. Gibeah of Saul has fled. 30 Cry aloud with your voice, daughter of Gallim! Listen, Laishah! You poor Anathoth! 31 Madmenah is a fugitive. The inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety. 32 This very day he will halt at Nob. He shakes his hand at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
Remember, God had promised Ahaz that he would deliver Judah from the attack of Syria and Israel if they would trust in him and not enter into a treaty with Assyria. But Ahaz refused God’s counsel and rather than trusting in God trusted in Assyria. As a result God was going to use Assyria to judge Judah.
But although God is going to discipline Judah he first prepares them for the attack from Assyria, reminding them that despite the circumstances he is always in charge and can be trusted. Judah will not be entirely destroyed. God will preserve a remnant.
Isaiah 10:33 Behold, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will lop the boughs with terror. The tall will be cut down, and the lofty will be brought low. 34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.
God will cut down the proud and disobedient as if they were mighty trees. What will become of these stumps?
Isaiah 11:1 A shoot will come out of the stock of Jesse,
and a branch out of his roots will bear fruit. (Luke 3:23-32, Matthew 2:23)
Yahweh is going to cause a shoot to grow out of the stump of Jesse, King David’s father. Do you know when this was fulfilled?
Because of the census, Luke 2:1-5, Joseph and Mary were ordered to report to the town of their ancestor, David, the town of Bethlehem. After lying dormant for 700 years, the royal authority of the house of David sent forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse. Jesus was the branch coming from what appeared to be a dead stump.
Yahweh wanted Judah to understand that even with the impending Assyrian invasion, he would bring forth life and restoration. The Savior of all of Israel and all of mankind, the Promised Messiah, would be born to a virgin in David’s city, Bethlehem.
What will this shoot be like?
Isaiah 11:2 Yahweh’s Spirit will rest on him:
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Yahweh.(Matthew 3:16; 12:18, Luke 3:22, Acts 10:38)
3 His delight will be in the fear of Yahweh.
He will not judge by the sight of his eyes,
neither decide by the hearing of his ears; (Luke 6:8, John 2:25)
4 but he will judge the poor with righteousness,
and decide with equity for the humble of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
and with the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked. (Acts 17:31, Revelation 2:16; 19:11,15)
5 Righteousness will be the belt around his waist,
and faithfulness the belt around his waist.(Revelation 19:11)
The Branch that springs forth from the seemingly dead stump will not arrive barely alive. The Branch, the Messiah, is fully alive, empowered by the Spirit of Yahweh, filling him with wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, and knowledge. His delight will be in the fear of Yahweh. He will be a righteous judge because he is faithful to Yahweh.
Isaiah 11:6 The wolf will live with the lamb,
and the leopard will lie down with the young goat,
the calf, the young lion, and the fattened calf together;
and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow and the bear will graze.
Their young ones will lie down together.
The lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child will play near a cobra’s hole,
and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.
9 They will not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of Yahweh,
as the waters cover the sea.
10 It will happen in that day that the nations will seek the root of Jesse, who stands as a banner of the peoples; and his resting place will be glorious. (Luke 1:31-33, John 12:18-21)
The reign of the Messiah will begin to restore that which was lost in Eden. What the first Adam threw away the Second Adam, the Messiah, will restore. 1 Corinthians 15:45
For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. Romans 8:19-21
Under the reign of the Messiah, the nations will seek the root of Jesse, (Romans 15:12) who stands as a banner for the peoples. That explains why Christ commanded his disciples, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20 In fact the nations will rally to the banner of Christ. The peoples of the nations that come to Christ are his bride, the church. The earth will be full of the knowledge of Yahweh as the waters cover the sea.
Looking back almost 3,000 years since this prophecy was given it is amazing to see that the Messiah is now known and worshiped the world over. Though the darkness is relentless the Messiah’s offer of the light of salvation has transformed the world.
It was Christianity that introduced the moral framework that named brutality as sin and stripped it of legitimacy… Christianity did not come to Europe telling Europe how wonderful it was. It arrived confronting them. It drew upon ideas of Christian duty and individual liberty… Christianity did not affirm European instincts. It disciplined them. This distinction matters: Christianity formed the moral and intellectual vision that rightly ordered reason, law, and human dignity, and from that vision flowed derivative goods such as legal restraint, institutional stability, and concern for the weak. Hospitals for the poor and sick appeared, education spread beyond elites, and limits were placed on cruelty and arbitrary power. These developments were not a natural expression of European blood. These were the fruits of Christian doctrine. When it works, it shapes and forms a people. Virgil Walker, Sola Veritas, 1-26-26
Isaiah 11:11 It will happen in that day that the Lord will set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12 He will set up a banner for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. 13 The envy also of Ephraim will depart, and those who persecute Judah will be cut off. Ephraim won’t envy Judah, and Judah won’t persecute Ephraim. 14 They will fly down on the shoulders of the Philistines on the west. Together they will plunder the children of the east. They will extend their power over Edom and Moab, and the children of Ammon will obey them. 15 Yahweh will utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his scorching wind he will wave his hand over the River, and will split it into seven streams, and cause men to march over in sandals. 16 There will be a highway for the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, like there was for Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.
Not only will the Gentile nations come to the Messiah, but also the scattered tribes of Israel, the outcasts of Israel, will be faithful to the Messiah whom they rejected. As faithful servants to the Messiah the warring tribes of Israel will be reconciled. Ephraim won’t envy Judah, and Judah won’t persecute Ephraim. Apostle Paul wrote,
I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: (Isaiah 59:20-21)
“The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
And this is my Covenant with them
when I take away their sins.” Romans 11:25-27
Isaiah ends this first section of his prophecy with a song of praise that we should all learn.
Isaiah 12:1 In that day you will say,
“I will give thanks to you, Yahweh; for though you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you comfort me. 2 Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust, and will not be afraid; for Yah, Yahweh, is my strength and song; and he has become my salvation.”
3 Therefore with joy you will draw water out of the wells of salvation. 4 In that day you will say,
“Give thanks to Yahweh! Call on his name! Declare his doings among the peoples! Proclaim that his name is exalted! 5 Sing to Yahweh, for he has done excellent things! Let this be known in all the earth! 6 Cry aloud and shout, you inhabitant of Zion, for the Holy One of Israel is great among you!” (Matthew 1:21)
We should live with unparalleled gratitude giving thanks because though Yahweh was rightfully angry with his people, and with us for ignoring and disobeying him, he not only turned away his wrath but with grace and mercy he has comforted us with Salvation.
Yahweh is my strength and song; and he has become my salvation!
What are we to sing about? Yahweh has given us a well, a bucket, and a rope. With joy…draw water out of the wells of salvation. Though you were like Isaiah standing exposed before the Holy God in the throne room, Isaiah 6:5, lost without hope in the world, Ephesians 2:12, God gave you eternal salvation. And with that salvation comes the responsibility of praising, [giving] thanks to Yahweh, and offering everyone salvation. Just as the disciples were to make disciples of all nations teaching them to obey everything that Christ commanded we, are to…
“Give thanks to Yahweh! Call on his name! Declare his doings among the peoples! Proclaim that his name is exalted! 5 Sing to Yahweh, for he has done excellent things! Let this be known in all the earth! 6 Cry aloud and shout, you inhabitant of Zion, for the Holy One of Israel is great among you!”